A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a network of nodes that gather spontaneously and communicate without requiring a pre-existing infrastructure, such as a base station. MANETs use a wireless communication medium and may be applied in various contexts. The characteristics of minimal configuration and quick deployment make MANETs suitable for implementation during emergency situations like natural or human-induced disasters, military conflicts and the like. A fundamental purpose for fielding MANETs is to allow individual members of a team, such as platoon of soldiers, to access and use services available from their peers. However, the dynamic topology of MANETs may make it difficult for nodes of the network to maintain an accurate, updated mapping of the network. Further, MANETs may be severely constrained in bandwidth and may include large numbers of users with very low-power devices. These factors (i.e., dynamic topology, constrained bandwidth, low-power devices) may make it difficult for a MANET to find requested services and to match clients to requested services in a reliable and timely manner. This difficulty is magnified when a large number of service requests from network users must be processed at or near the same time. During such times (i.e., peak traffic periods), overhead traffic generated while processing such requests may overwhelm the network and lead to delays in service provision or dropped communication. When these networks are implemented in possible life or death situations, such as during military conflicts, the network's inability to provide necessary services in a timely manner may have drastic consequences for team members (i.e., users of the network).
Therefore, it may be desirable to have a system and method for a priori scheduling of network services which addresses the above-referenced problems and limitations of the current solutions.